Reversible plugboard programming panel



Jan. 24, 1967 D. R. HARNER ETAL 3,300,750

REVERSIBLE PLUGBOARD PROGRAMMING PANEL A2 Sheets-Shea Filed May 20, 1964Jan- 24, 1967 D. R. HARNER ETAL 3,300,750

REVERSIBLE PLUGBOARD PROGRAMMING PANEL Filed May 20, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet2 IN VENTO/2S DONALD Rmx-mnu HARNER MmHAEL. ?|.MQA

United States Patent Olice 3,300,750 Patented Jan. 24, 1967 3,300,750REVERSIBLE PLUGBOARD PROGRAMMING PANEL Donald Richard Hamer and MichaelPlaxa, Camp Hill, Pa., assignors to AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa.Filed May 20, 1964, Ser. No. 368,832 6 Claims. (Cl. 339-18) Thisinvention relates to plugboard programing panels for use in a plugboardsystem.

Plugboard programming systems and panels were developed to meet theexpanding and critical demands of the rapid development of electronics.These products, like electronics itself, are still growing and are stillbeing relined to keep in step with the new developments.

Basically, these systems and panels are general purpose,manually-operated switches which permit, through proper patchcord =and/or patchboard selection, nearly innite switching combinations. Moreover,because the program plugboards are removable from the systems, it is tostore and retain for later use any previously established switchingcombinations. The applications of these systems are seemingly endlessand require a large storage area. Hence, it is desirable to decrease thestorage area.

It is, therefore, a primary .object of the present invention to providea programming plugboard which is capable of reducing storage area.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a programmingplugboard which contains an established program on each side whichsubstantially decreases the number of established programming plugboardsfor reusable purposes.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of aprogramming plugboard that is simple in manufacture and usable inexisting plugboard systems.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the followingdetailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings inwhich there are shown and described illustrative embodiments of theinvention; it is to be understood, however, that these embodiments arenot intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but aregiven for purposes of illustration and principles thereof and the mannerof applying them in practical use so that they may modify them invarious forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of aparticular use.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a plugboard assembly;

FIGURE 2 is a partial perspective and partially eX- ploded view of aprogramming plugboard;

FIGURE 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line 3 3 ofFIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 shows an alternative embodiment of a contact member; and

FIGURE 5 is a partial plan view of an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention.

A plugboard assembly PB, such as completely .disclosed and described inU.S. Patent No. 2,927,295, and which is assigned to the presentassignee, includes a stationary plugboard A and a movable plugboard B.Plugboard A is provided with rows of contact members 1 which may t-akeany suitable form, but it is preferred that these contact members havethe form and characteristics as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,882,508,which is also assigned to the present assignee. These plugboards aremade of any suitable electrical insulating material and are preferablymolded.

Plugboard B is carried by carrier frame 2 and is moved toward and awayfrom plugboard A via linkage mechanism 3. This plugboard is removablefrom carrier frame 2. Handle H is located on one end of plugboard B tofacilitate the insertion and removal of the plugboard from carrier frame2 as well as to properly `orient the plugboard therein. Since theinvention is directed to plugboard B, a complete description of theoperation of the plugboard assembly can be found in the above-mentionedU.S. Patent No. 2,927,295; however, it is to be understood that thisplugboard may be utilized in connection with any conventional plugboardsystem.

Turning now to FIGURES 2 and 3, plugboard B has a frame 4 andintermediate thereto a panel 5 which contains rows of apertures 6corresponding to the number of rows of contact members 1. Of course,each aperture in plugboard B when placed in carrier frame 2 isoppositely disposed with respect to a contact member.

Contact members 7 are placed in apertures 6 in accordance with aprogram. Each contact member is formed from any suit-able metal andcomprises a contact section 8, an aperture engaging section 9, spacedanges 10 and 11 and a circumferential groove 12. Contact section 8engages the tab section of the contact member opposite thereto ,andpreferably has Ia rounded nose portion 13. The diameter of section 9 isslightly less than that of the apertures so that it can easilybeinserted therein. The distance between flange 10 and groove 12 isslightly greater than the thickness of panel 5. Flange 10 then abutsagainst one surface of panel 5, and a C-shaped snap ring 14 is disposedwithin groove 12 in order to lock the contact member in the panel. Othervariations for locking the contact member in the panel can, of course,be visualized. Flange 11 denes an abutting flange. If desired, section 9and each aperture 6 may be provided with a at portion which prevents thecontact member from turning in the aperture. Obviously other mountingmeans may be utilized.

As can be discerned, some contact members 7 point outwardly fromdifferent apertures of one side of panel 5 while others point outwardlyfrom different apertures of the other side. This constitutes a programon each side of the plugboard. In order to complete the program on eachside of the plugboard, conductor means 15 is connected between selectedcontact members at the 'area of.

each contact member between anges 10 and 11 as shown in FIGURE 2. Suchconnection may be effected by soldering the conductor means to theappropriate contact members.

After the contact members have been interconnected, a thin panel 16 ofinsulating material and Ihaving apertures 17 in correspondence withapertures 6 of panel 5 is fitted on the inside of frame 4. As can beseen from FIG- URE 3, contact sections 8 of the contact members extendthrough corresponding apertures 17 of panels 16 and considerably beyondthe planes containing the outer surfaces of frame 4 extending parallelWith respect to panel 5.

Panels 16 engage flanges 11 which limit their inner movement towardpanel 5 since the diameters of anges 11 are larger than that ofapertures 17, and tlhe thickness of panels 16 is eq-ual to the distancefrom flanges 11 to the above-mentioned outer surfaces of frame 4. Inorder that panels 16 remain in place, they may be secured to frame 4 asyby glue or some other way as 4by bevelling the edges so that they arepress-fitted within frame 4 or in any other suitab-le manner. Thus,frame 4, panels 5 and 16 form plugboard B which ihas the thickness ofconventional pl-ugboards.

It is not necessary that panels 16 lbe used; however, these pane-ls aredesirable because they protect conductor means 15 connected between thecontact members. Once plugboard B has been completed -as by securingcontact members 7 in their programmed locations, conductor means 15connected to the proper contact members and panels 16 secured inposition, there is now presented a plugboard which contains establishedprograms on each side thereof which can be used over and over again andstored when not in use.

It is possible that the programs on both sides of the plugboard will useone or more common apertures. If this is the case, then a contact member7', as illustrated in FIGURE 4, would be placed in these apertures sinceflange 11 has a contact section 8 extending outwardly therefrom in adirection opposite to that of contact section 8. One end of conductormeans 15 would be connected toward the inn-er end of contact section 8of contact member 7' between panels 5 and 16 whenever this contact ymember is used in the programs of both sides of the plugboard.Accordingly, when contact member 7 is used, one conductor means 15 isconnected to the area between flanges 10 and 11 on one side of panel 5and another conductor means is connected close to the inner end ofcontact sect-ion 8 on the other side of panel 5.

An alternative embodiment for interconnecting the contact members isillustrated in FIGURE 5. In this embodiment, each surface of panel 5(ltakes the form of a printed circuit board with circuit paths 18 disposedin the surfaces of panels 5 and interconnecting circular metallicsegments 19 disposed at the periphery of certain 4apertures 6 definingthe desired program. When contact members 7 or 7' are disposed in theapertures containing segments 19, ange 10 or ring 14 thereof engagesthese segments to provide electrical connection therebetween.

Since no conductor means are connected to the contact members in theembodiment of FIGURE 5 as in that of FIGURES 2 and 3, panels 16 on eachside of frame 4' are not necessaryhowever, these may be applied thereto,if desired. Alternatively, panel 5 may be a laminated structure withcircuit paths 18 ilocated on a thin piece of insulating material,covering pieces of the sa-me or similar material thereover and segments19 or part thereof disposed within apertures 6i.

Other structures similar to the above-described plugboards and contactmembers can be visualized which will perform the same function Withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

Extending outwardly from frame 4 are leg members 20 which are locatedItoward each corner thereof. Leg members 20 are located inwardly fromthe outside edge ,of the frame so that the frame can be inserted withincarrier frame 2; however, they are not located too far so that they donot engage any of the tab portions of contact members 1 located in theouter rows. Leg members 20 extend slightly -beyond nose portions 13 ofthe contact sections of contact members 7 so that, when the plugboard isplaced in storage or on a table, the contact sections will be protectedas Well as preventing breakage of panels 5 and 5 if and when pressure isapplied to the plugboard. Similar leg members 20 are provided on frame4"of the embodiment of FIGURE 5.

The leg members may be integrally formed with the frame and panelstructure or they may be separate pieces secured to the frame in anysuitable manner. Also, the leg members may be one continuous member, oreach leg member may extend across its corresponding side or end as onemember instead of two. While only one surface of frame 4 and 4 is shownto contain the leg members, it is obvious that both surfaces may containleg members. Of course, these leg members need not be provided.

As can be discerned, there has been disclosed a plugboard havingestablished programs on each side which can be stored for future use.

It will, therefore, be apreciated that the aforementioned and otherdesirable objects have been achieved; however, it should be emphasizedthat the particular embodiments of the invention, which are shown and`described herein, are intended as merely illustrative and not asrestrictive of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A plugboard comprising a panel section having apertures, contactmembers in some of sai-d apertures and extending outwardly from one sideof said panel, conductive means interconnecting selected ones of saidcon'- tact members to define a program, further contact members in someof said apertures and extending outwardly from the other side of saidpanel, further conductive means interconnecting selected ones of saidfurther contact members to dene another program, said contact membershaving ilange means, additional panel sections disposed on each side ofsaid iirst mentioned panel in enga-gement with said iiange means, saidadditional panel sections having apertures in alignment wit-l1 theapertures of said iirst mentioned panel so that the contact members inthese last mentioned apertures extend therethrough.

2. In a plugboard for use in a plugboard assembly, a panel member havingrows of apertures therein, a first and second plurality of contactmembers secured within certain ones of said apertures, each said contactmember having a contact enga-ging portion and a conductor receivingportion, each said iirst plurality having their contact engagingportions extending from a iirst side of said panel and their conductorreceiving portions extending from a second side of said panel, each saidsecond plurality having their contact engaging portions extending fromsaid second side of said panel and their conductor receiving portionsextending from said first side of said panel, iirst conductor mea-nsdisposed on said second side of said panel and connecting selected onesof said first plurality of contact members, and second conductor meansdisposed on said first side of said panel and connecting selected onesof said second plurality of contact members, whereby each said side ofsaid panel contains a distinct programming array to thereby present adiierent program dependent upon the orientation of said panel withinsaid plugboard assembly.

3. A panel member as set forth in claim 2 further cornprising means forlocking sai-d contact members within said apertures.

4. A panel member as set forth in claim 2 further comprising `rneansprovided on each side of said panel member to protect said iirstandsecond conductor means.

l5. A-panel member as set forth in claim 2 wherein at least one of saidcontact members -is com-mon to both said programs, said common contactmember having a contact engaging portion extending outwardly from bothsides of said panel member.

6. A panel member as set forth in claim 2 wherein said rst and secondconductor means comprise printed circuitry disposed on opposite sides ofsaid panel member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,111,118 3/1938Lake 339--42 3,002,170 9/1961 Clouthier 339-18 X 3,179,913 4/1965Mittler et al. 339-18 EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

PATRICK A. CLIFFORD, Assistant Examiner.

1. A PLUGBOARD COMPRISING A PANEL SECTION HAVING APERTURES, CONTACTMEMBERS IN SOME OF SAID APERTURES AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM ONE SIDEOF SAID PANEL, CONDUCTIVE MEANS INTERCONNECTING SELECTED ONES OF SAIDCONTACT MEMBERS TO DEFINE A PROGRAM, FURTHER CONTACT MEMBERS IN SOME OFSAID APERTURES AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF SAIDPANEL, FURTHER CONDUCTIVE MEANS INTERCONNECTING SELECTED ONES OF SAIDFURTHER CONTACT MEMBERS TO DEFINE ANOTHER PROGRAM, SAID CONTACT MEMBERSHAVING FLANGE MEANS, ADDITIONAL PANEL SECTIONS DISPOSED ON EACH SIDE OFSAID FIRST MENTIONED PANEL IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FLANGE MEANS, SAIDADDITIONAL PANEL SECTIONS HAVING APERTURES IN ALIGNMENT WITH THEAPERTURES OF SAID FIRST MENTIONED PANEL SO THAT THE CONTACT MEMBERS INTHESE LAST MENTIONED APERTURES EXTEND THERETHROUGH.